


Sisters in law, sisters in expatriation

by Himring



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Dor-lómin, Edain, F/M, Female Protagonist, Gen, Haladin | House of Haleth, POV Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2020-01-06 12:48:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18388748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Himring/pseuds/Himring
Summary: Hareth and Gloredhel married each other's brothers in a double wedding; both went to live with their new husband's people.Three drabbles from Hareth's point of view, and one about Gloredhel.Now complete, I think, although more could certainly be written about these two!





	1. Hareth (I)

**Author's Note:**

> For the LLA general prompt: In the Mirror
> 
> Written to go with Oshun's new [bio of Hareth](http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/reference/characterofthemonth/hareth.php), which I would encourage you to have a look at!
> 
> Possible content warning (if anyone minds this): pregnancy features, but I would not regard pregnancy as the subject of the drabbles.

Hareth looked in the mirror given her by Gloredhel when they exchanged gifts at their wedding. It showed dark hair, features that made her stand out among her husband’s people; it did not show how short she was, compared to any of them, but especially to her husband, Galdor the Tall, towering more than two heads above her. It was too small for that.

Visible difference—but the difference between the House of the Haleth and the House of Hador was reflected even more strongly in thought.

How, she wondered, was Gloredhel doing, trying to adjust to life in Brethil?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also for Tolkien Weekly's reflection challenge prompts "mirror" and "thought".


	2. Hareth (II)

It felt more daunting today to be short and dark amid an assembly of blonde giants—perhaps because she was carrying her first child, although, once born, it would bind her more closely to Dor-lomin, Hareth hoped.

If anybody thought that the Haladin were too few to be of much account, they tried not to let her feel it. But when she had offered to teach the girls how to handle a halberd, it earned her respectful reproof from her husband’s cousin Indor. Hareth was no Haleth, no fully trained Guardian, but how sheltered could Dor-lomin’s women afford to be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The drabble prompt was "assembly".
> 
> Indor is Aerin's father. Aerin, however, probably isn't born yet and in any case perhaps no amount of weapons training would have helped in her later situation. 
> 
> The Haladin's distinctive tradition of fighting women isn't in evidence in later canonical scenes set among the Haladin, but neither is it said that it was abolished. I assume that the tradition had dwindled under Halmir and his heirs without being completely given up. The name of Guardian I gave the female fighters is not canonical.
> 
> Halberds in the narrower sense are late medieval weapons, but in the wider sense the name is sometimes applied to older weapons of similar type. It seemed the most suitable term for a pole weapon of the First Age.


	3. Hareth (III)

‘Galdor,’ said Hareth.

His head came up instantly. He had been very concerned about her and her health since the beginning of the pregnancy. He, too, had their difference in height in mind, it seemed, although Hareth had passed on the reassuring comments by the midwife about the width of her hips.

‘Galdor,’ said Hareth, ‘whether I carry a son or daughter, I want them to be fostered according to the old custom, in my brother’s household. Our children shall know both Brethil and Dor-lomin.’

Galdor looked startled, but nodded.

‘You have my promise, Hareth. And Gloredhel will be glad.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The expanded tribble about Hareth now also covers the LLA prompt "Reasons why", I think?
> 
> We hear about Hurin and Huor being fostered in Brethil, but not about Handir being fostered in Dor-lomin, although perhaps it only isn't mentioned because nothing went wrong on his end, on the principle that no news is good news and vice versa.  
> So, here's my suggestion that Hareth, in particular, may have pushed for the custom of fosterage being followed.


	4. Gloredhel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also for the Tolkien100 prompt: The Heart Takes No Orders.

Gloredhel’s unbounded enthusiasm with which she threw herself into learning everything there was to know about the Haladin way of life had quickly quelled Haldir’s fears that a bride from the House of Hador might find it hard to adjust—until now. This could not be put down to morning sickness, surely, however severe?

‘Gloredhel?’

‘Haldir, I’m sorry! I’ve been trying to make myself love the trees. I thought I did! But now I long so for open spaces…’

‘Would it help if I built you a house on a hill, dearest?  You could be closer there to the sky…’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is no canonical basis for this at all. But the idea is to suggest that this might be the origin of the settlement on Amon Obel, which was later fortified.
> 
> Gloredhel's son Handir and Hareth's elder son Hurin, according to HoME, were born the same year, five years after their double wedding, although Gloredhel was five years older than Hareth. (I've cribbed these dates from Tolkien Gateway, without re-checking.)

**Author's Note:**

> Also for the SWG's Hidden Figures challenge (Hareth).


End file.
